Talk to the manager of Toyota
If the lights are bright, the starter may have failed. If the lights are dim and the starter turns over slowly (RRRRrrr . . .) the battery my need to be charged. If the lights are bright and the starter cranks normally, failures in the ignition system may be the cause. The engine needs a strong battery with clean, tight connections, fuel and spark. You are missing one of those.
Starts the engine. Turns on lights and radio.
Starts the engine. Turns on lights and radio.
Does the engine crank ? If not , does the underhood light come on when you open the hood or the door chime sound if the keys are in the ignition with the drivers door open ? If you don't get any lights / door chime etc. it could be a bad battery cable connection or a dead battery If the engine cranks and does not start , it's either not getting fuel or spark
The alternator when the engine is on, and the battery when the engine is off.
take a battery cable off
When your lights are on and your engine is not running you are taking the power for your car lights directly from your battery. If you leave them on long enough, you will run down your battery and your car will not start. Then you will need a jump.
with the information you've given, it sounds like a weak battery.
Alternator straining to maintain battery charge?
Yes.. Well, not the engine of it. The engine/movement of the car is the power of gas/oil. Not the battery. The battery controls: lights, radios, heaters.....etc Hope this helped ;)
The most common cause for your 1997 Honda Civic lights to dim is a bad alternator. The alternator is not charging the battery. The battery retains a small charge, but not enough charge to run the engine.
This could indicate a low state of charge for the battery.